Polls Highlight India’s Changing Role

By

Neal Lipschutz

Jan 28, 2010 9:29 am ET

A Facebook poll of users revealed some interesting differences about India’s global role as seen from inside and outside the nation.

Presented as part of a panel discussion about India at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum here in Davos, a majority of global Facebook users, responding to the question of what the world should expect from India, said they want India to be a leader on climate change issues.

When Facebook users within India were asked what India should expect from the world, the largest portion – 42 per cent – said a seat on the United Nations security council. The next biggest chunk – 28 per cent – want the world to look after India’s security interests.

Anand Sharma, India’s minister of commerce and industry, protested that the global economic architecture and the UN stemmed from post World War II realities and don’t reflect today’s world, including the role of India, the world’s largest democracy.

Robert Hormats, U.S. undersecretary of state for economic, energy and agricultural affairs, agreed that if the UN was created today the security council would look a lot different.

Hormats noted the rise of the G20 group of nations as a key policy group – supplanting the G7 – and India’s key role in the G20.

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